Bates Hospitality

Clients acknowledge Bates Hospitality has the ability to deliver the desired results within the established budget, time frame, and quality. Sean has a keen eye for detail, and implements and follows-through on all pre-determined goals. The projects he manages are exceptionally well organized, and the teams he leads are effective and foreseeable.

About Sean

Sean Bates has spent most of his life making sure people eat well and enjoy themselves. Growing up in Bricktown, New Jersey, a coastal cottage town, Sean worked in many eateries favored by generations of Manhattanites on weekend and holiday escapes. As a young teen, Sean eagerly worked alongside his father and uncle at their restaurant. There he learned to perfect and perform in every capacity of the trade – from dishwasher to prep, cook to bartender. While he loved food, Sean was a social butterfly at heart and most enjoyed time behind the bar, laughing and mingling, ensuring guests enjoyed themselves.

Sean Bates has spent most of his life making sure people eat well and enjoy themselves. Growing up in Bricktown, New Jersey, a coastal cottage town, Sean worked in many eateries favored by generations of Manhattanites on weekend and holiday escapes. As a young teen, Sean eagerly worked alongside his father and uncle at their restaurant. There he learned to perfect and perform in every capacity of the trade – from dishwasher to prep, cook to bartender. While he loved food, Sean was a social butterfly at heart and most enjoyed time behind the bar, laughing and mingling, ensuring guests enjoyed themselves.

After graduating high school he sought a more exciting, fast-paced atmosphere and moved to the big city. In New York, Sean tended bar at the Limelight, one of the hippest nightclubs in Manhattan. In the city, Sean quickly developed a talent for finding some of the best, most diverse dining available on his tight budget.

Developing a keen interest in international fare, Sean left NY for an extended stay with a friend in Paris. There, he had ample opportunity to enjoy and observe some of the finest cooking, food service and hospitality in the world. He spent a year abroad, immersing himself in food cultures of the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Spain, among others.

Returning to the states in 1989, Sean oversaw all bar operations and food and beverage training for the world-famous Coronado Bay Resort in California. In 1991, with a great deal of travel and practical experience under his belt, Sean returned to school to get a degree in Business Administration. While attending school, Sean worked as special events coordinator for Hilton Hotels. Next, he accepted a position at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan. As Convention Manager, Sean oversaw all aspects of lodging, meal service, private parties and travel arrangements for everything from weddings to corporate events. A move to Chicago in 1994 allowed Sean to refine his high-end hospitality expertise, joining the Ritz Carlton to manage their lounge and room service division. That year, the hotel received the most prestigious accolade in the industry, Michelin’s highest-rated hotel in the country.

Sean’s hotel experience served him well when he went back to his first love: restaurants. As General Manager, Sean opened Rhapsody, a fine-dining restaurant in Chicago’s Symphony Center. As part of the center’s renovation, Sean spent 1996 facing new challenges, from construction through opening day, creating the perfect ambience and exceptional standards of quality and service. Sean wasn’t able to enjoy Rhapsody’s success for long, as a necessary relocation to Los Angeles came within a month of opening.

Opening Rhapsody and working with its star chef, Steven Chiapetti, proved invaluable in LA. Joachim Splichal, one of the city’s most highly respected chefs, hired Sean to manage new projects for his prolific and very profitable Patina Group, a multi-property and catering empire. With Joachim, Sean served as jack-of-all-trades in expanding the Patina brand. Sean shouldered great responsibilities, including the remodel of Pinot Blanc in Napa, negotiations for developing new venues at the LA County Museum of Art, managing construction of Pentimento restaurant and café at the museum, and eventually managing all special events and food and beverage on site.

In 2001, after five years with Patina, Sean joined Vicky Shemaria at Marix Tex Mex Café. Managing the wildly popular West Hollywood restaurant and bar known for its “kick-ass” Margaritas, Sean liked Vicky’s approach to creating a fun and exciting menu that inspire a restaurant’s culture. Working alongside Vicky for several years and watching her succeed doing something she loved, Sean absorbed her entrepreneurial spirit and confidence, and began working toward opening his own restaurant.

In May 2007, Sean was ready and opened Larchmont Grill with business associate and friend Mark Donofrio. Bringing many years of experience in food, beverage and hospitality to the fore, Sean and Mark have worked to create in LG a one-of-a-kind restaurant that reinterprets classic American bistro fare with global influences and offers a fine dining experience in a warm, approachable setting. At LG, Sean easily moves between kitchen, back office and front of the house roles

Sean Bates has over 25 years experience as a restaurant consultant. Growing up in his family’s restaurant, brainstorming sessions were a regular part of his week to drive the business forward. His first owned and operated restaurant was Larchmont Grill, which he ran and successfully built into a grand that grew to a million dollar business and successfully sold in 2013. Since then he has worked as a freelance Consultant. He is describe as a Results-driven Consultant, Restaurateur and unwavering Optimist.

Mission

For more than 25 years, Sean has worked in the front of the house, back of the house, opened, owned, created, and operated original concepts. Along that path he's constantly learning new things, and have designed programs to meet the needs and problems that today's restaurant operators and culinary professionals face in today's challenging economy. His primary goal is to be the guy that will save, revitalize, reinvent and deliver you the successful business that you have dreamed of owning.

Strengths

Delivers Results. A go-getter who oversees the whole; thinks out of the box and adapts quickly. A man of his word. Has a strong sense of responsibility and follow-through that sets dreams into action. Inspires to invent, create and transform companies. Born networker. Extremely motivated to take on extra business. Cultivates and maintains a productive work environment. Recognizes opportunities. Analyses all success factors and risks.

Contact

Hiring

Sean is a driven Restaurant Consultant who has a penchant for tackling complex projects. Challenge and adventure push him to perform at the top of his game, he thrives in making order out of chaos, and has a strong affinity with new business development, strategy, and business expansion.

Contact Sean at Bates Hospitality when you are ready to develop a new bar or restaurant, build a brand, or drive your business to the next level.